In this series we’ll take a fresh look at resources and how they are used. We’ll go beyond natural resources like air and water to look at how efficiency in raw materials can boost the bottom line and help the environment. We’ll also examine the circular economy and design for reuse — with an eye toward honoring those resources we do have.

While changes at home can’t solve the many environmental crises we face today, they can sure help. Through this series, we’ll explore how initiatives like curbside compost pick-up, rebates on compost bins, and efficient appliances can help families reduce their impact without breaking the bank.

Despite decades -- centuries even -- of global efforts, slavery can still be found not just on the high seas, but around the world and throughout various supply chains. Through this series on forced labor, sponsored by C&A Foundation, we’ll explore many different types of bonded and forced labor and highlight industries where this practice is alive and well today.

In this series we examine how companies should respond to national controversy like police violence and the BLM movement to best support employees and how can companies work to improve equality by increasing diversity in their ranks directly.

Compost is often considered a panacea for the United States’ tremendous food waste problem. Indeed, composting is a much better option than putting spoiled food in a garbage can destined for a landfill.

We all know that a key to creating a greener future is to foster more sustainable behavior at work and in our lives. Be it a green team working to increase recycling rates or reduce paper waste or a corporate sustainability officer working to reduce a carbon footprint, a key challenge is how to encourage changes in our decisions and actions. But we also know that change is not always easy to foster.

To date, most programs to achieve green changes have relied upon disseminating information. Research demonstrates, however, that simply providing information has little or no effect on what individuals or businesses do. But if not ads, brochures or booklets, then what?

Over the last two decades a new approach, community-based social marketing, has emerged as an effective alternative for promoting sustainable behavior.

Years ago I took a workshop with Canadian environmental psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr, the guru of community based social marketing and author of Fostering Sustainable Behavior (now available as a free on-line book). It was a very practical workshop full of case studies and tips for how to create a campaign that will truly foster changes in behavior.

While his book was published years ago, many of the concepts are still applicable today.

The book explains, “Community-based social marketing draws heavily on research in social psychology which indicates that initiatives to promote behavior change are often most effective when they are carried out at the community level and involve direct contact with people.”

And while many of the case studies are in the public sector, the principles (commitment, prompts, norms, communication, incentives and making it easy) are very applicable to corporate sustainability programs and green teams.

McKenzi-Mohr will be delivering his two-day introductory Fostering Sustainable Behavior workshop in Portland November 2-3 and in San Francisco November 4-5. Here is the link for registration information.

To a get a better sense of his work, you can check out his web site that includes articles, case studies and strategies.

According to the flier for the workshop, “This two-day workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behavior. Those who attend the workshop will learn the five steps of community-based social marketing (selecting behaviors, identifying barriers, developing strategies, conducting pilots, and broad scale implementation) and be exposed to numerous case studies illustrating its use.”

Who Should Attend?

If you design or fund programs to encourage individuals or businesses to engage in environmentally beneficial behaviors — such as those involved in waste reduction, water and energy efficiency, watershed and habitat protection, pollution prevention or transportation changes — you will find these workshops invaluable. The workshops will also be useful for environmental education professionals who work in settings such as zoos, aquariums and parks. Public health professionals who work to foster sustainable lifestyle changes, such as being more active, will also benefit from attending.

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Deborah Fleischer is founder and president of Green Impact, a strategic environmental consulting practice that helps companies strengthen their relationships with stakeholders, develop profitable green initiatives and communicate their successes and challenges. She is a LEED AP with a Master in Environmental Studies from Yale University and over 20-years of direct experience working on sustainability-related challenges in both the public and private sectors. She brings deep expertise in sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement, program development and written communications. In addition to her own blog Shades of Green, she writes for some of the top green business web sites, including www.greenbiz.com, www.triplepundit.com and www.matternetwork.com.

Deborah Fleischer is founder and president of Green Impact, a strategic sustainability consulting practice that helps companies walk the green talk. She helps companies design and launch new green strategies and programs, as well as communicate about successes. She is a GRI-certified sustainability reporter and LEED AP with a Master in Environmental Studies from Yale University and over 20-years of direct experience working on sustainability-related challenges in both the public and private sectors. She brings deep expertise in sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement, program development and written communications.Deborah has helped to design and implement numerous successful cross-sector partnerships and new green initiatives, including the California Environmental Dialogue, Curb Your Carbon and the Institute at the Golden Gate.She has helped create lasting alliances among such organizations as Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy with companies such as Disney, Arco, Bank of America and Passport Resorts.You can follow her occasional tweet @GreenImpact or contact her directly at Deborah@greenimpact.com.

3 responses

I attended one of Doug’s workshops here in Gainesville FL a few years ago. The content is solid and filled with real world success stories. His listserv (free!) often has good examples of programs around the world to help you develop your own.